At the kindergarten age, children have really begun to develop who they are as a person with strong identities. At this stage, they start to fill their knowledge with the rest of the world, which leads them to look externally to themselves.
Our goal in kindergarten is to encourage and support that excitement and curiosity of the external world. Likewise, in this age group, their social understanding begins to develop much more significantly, they look at their peers, and we begin to see democracy come into their play and life – understandings of fairness, respect for others and sharing of space. Our curriculum is based on that understanding.
The difference between the role of prep and kindergarten:
5 Key Learning Areas
A lot of early childhood services say they have play-based programs or a play-based curriculum, whereas what they’re really offering is structured activities presented in a fun way. So in order for play-based learning to be achieved properly, play has to meet 5 criteria.
5 Criteria of Play
School readiness for us is about the child being confident in themselves, with the ability to make friends and social connections, ready to take on that next step. We don’t expect them to have some amazing academic skills, but an eagerness to learn.
Resources Mentioned
Thank You
We’d love to hear from you! If you have any feedback, suggestions or questions about anything we discussed in this episode, please feel free to reach out – tracy@adeona.com.au.
Our Early Childhood Education Centres
Coorparoo | Mitchelton | Noosaville | Mackay
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